"We are all involved in building our motherland"

Building a nation requires responsibility and involvement from all levels of society including students, writes Nutifafa Geh, 29, a Correspondent from Ho in Ghana.

Ants are wonderful insects and they affirm there can be unity in diversity.

These creatures work collectively and in harmony for one goal ‒ to support their colony. The ant colony is made up of the queen, whose role is to lay eggs that will replenish the population to avoid extinction. Workers are another group, and their function is to hunt for food, care for the little ones, work the nest and safeguard the colony. For the male ants, their function is to mate with the queen for reproduction. It is said that after they have performed this function, they may die.

Comparably, it can be said that the extent to which a nation can excel is determined by how well it can function like the ant colony. In that light, it becomes a necessity rather than an option. Songs carry messages, like the Ghanaian patriotic song ‒ Arise Ghana youth for your country. The song advocates for unity for a common good, and the words carry an inspiration which is indescribable; it charges one to stand up for the motherland ‒ Ghana. The words of the anthem go like this:

Arise Ghana youth for your country,

The nation demands your devotion.

Let us all unite to uphold her,

And make her great and strong.

We are all involved (3x),

In building our motherland.

This is what I glean from this song: Having a sense of belonging is the foundation of getting involved, and it’s not a one-man affair. On the contrary, ‘we are all involved’ in building the ‘colony’.

Unfortunately, not everyone perceives it this way. Sometimes, what the citizenry should hold themselves responsible for is quickly attributed to government officials. The name aban (meaning government in Twi) has become a household name, but sadly for the wrong reasons. Government has her role in national development and so does the citizenry. We don’t have to intentionally make a public place dirty with filth and say to ourselves that aban will clean it. We can do better and assume responsibility for cleanliness of those places. After all, we are all involved in keeping the city clean.

Different arms of government have their roles and the citizenry also have something to contribute. The functions are different but the goal is one ‒ to build the motherland. According to Kwame Nkrumah, we face neither east nor west but forward. We must therefore raise our voices together, march forward together and raise the flag of Ghana high together. More than ever before, let the sense of belonging be cultivated in homes, schools and institutions. We can do better. Ghana is our motherland and here we call home.

I am very passionate about student empowerment and I would love to see students get more involved. Students should not think that they belong to society only after school, but they should get involved even now while they are in school. I believe students are an asset and they are part of the solution to national development. Not in the future but now, hence its needful that students start seeing themselves as such and come on board fully in building our motherland. A student may not be the queen or the male ant but a student can function as a worker to ‘work the nest’. It is said that the left hand is for cleaning the right hand and the right hand for cleaning the left hand. In the same way, students have their role to play in national development and their needed support must not be denied.

My name is Nutifafa and I am involved in building my motherland. I am a ‘worker’ and I work the nest by championing student empowerment. Get involved, discover where you belong in the ‘colony’, that is if you haven’t already discovered it. Let the government worker be wholly devoted to his duty, and let the private worker also be dedicated at his post. Let the teacher be wholly devoted, and let the student also be faithful in bringing their quota to the table. We need to do it right because we are all involved. It ought to be so because the nation demands our devotion and we have to unite to uphold her in making her great and strong.

We are one nation, one people, one hope, and we are all involved in building our motherland.

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About me: My name is Nutifafa and I am for students (#Iam4Students). I believe what wings are to a bird is what education is to every boy and girl whether young or old. For that reason, my interest in education is very keen, and it is a joy for me to give a hand in empowering students to reach their full potential.

I love life and photography, and I believe I can make students smile by giving them the reason to.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

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